Man United defender Johnny Evans knows all eyes will be on Bernabeu

11 February 2013 03:50

Jonny Evans knows the pressure will be on for both sides when Manchester United tackle Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Real coach Jose Mourinho underlined the importance of this week's Champions League showdown at the Bernabeu on Sunday when he said it is a match "the whole world wants to see".

And, whilst Evans and his team-mates will be doing their best to shield themselves from the hype surrounding the fixture, he knows it cannot completely be avoided. And he said: "We do know the pressure will be heightened and all the eyes are on us. I suppose Real Madrid have always had that. They are expected and if they don't do it, there is uproar."

He added: "You don't get to appreciate it as a player. You miss the build-up because you are trying to keep your head down and making sure you are physically and mentally right.

"I am sure it will be a great occasion and everyone is looking forward to it as much as we are."

Tickets have certainly been pretty hard to come by, with many United fans booking trips to Madrid without a clue as to how they will actually get to see the game.

Mourinho is under the microscope, with his side trailing badly in La Liga, in stark contrast to United, whose victory over Everton at Old Trafford took them 12 points clear of Manchester City with only 12 games remaining.

Although no one at Old Trafford was saying it on Sunday night, that victory over Everton has put United into a virtually unassailable lead in the Premier League and offers Ferguson the option of leaving players out of domestic matches should his side progress to the later stages of Europe.

And clearly Europe matters, especially after following up the impressive appearance in three finals out of four by crashing out in the group stage last term.

"We had a great record in the Champions League until last year," said Evans. "We have gathered that experience to make sure that we do progress and get to finals and semi-finals."